Day 1
Read 1 Corinthians 9:16-23. What does Paul mean when he says he has become all things to all people, that he might by all means save some? How can we distinguish between meeting people where they are and pretending to be something we're not, or falling into greater sin ourselves? Since we are all sinners, is any such distinction meaningful? Reflect on where your way of life shares borders with people who live or think differently, and how God might be calling you to meet them.
Day 2
Read Luke 10:1-12. Jesus says he is sending his disciples out like lambs into the midst of wolves. How can we live with this kind of vulnerability and danger, and still be good to the people already connected to us through family and faith community? How does the specific call Jesus places on his contemporaries translate into our present circumstances? Reflect on where God may be calling you to accept risk or sacrifice in order to make the Gospel known.
Day 3
Read Matthew 25:31-46. Jesus here uses language about judgment in a way that directly challenges his disciples to be in service to others, where in most of the Gospels such language is reserved for his dismantling of priestly hypocrisy. Where are we living up to this challenge as a faith community? Where are we falling short? How can we affirm and encourage each other to make this call to service central to our faith walk? Reflect on where God may be challenging you to meet the needs of the vulnerable and suffering around you.
Day 4
Read Matthew 5:14-16 and Matthew 6:1-8. Jesus tells people to let their light shine before others, so that their good works may be seen, but he also warns against praying in public, boasting of faith, and ostentatious good works. How do we know when we are spreading the Gospel through acts of love and service, and when we are glorifying ourselves or seeking to earn grace? Reflect on how God may be calling you to be bold in proclaiming God's love through words and deeds.
Day 5
Read Matthew 28:19-20. Matthew recounts these as the last direct instruction of Jesus to his disciples; we call it the Great Commission – go and make disciples of all nations. A principle of our theology is that God calls those who he wishes to call, or as Jesus puts it elsewhere in the Gospels, "the wind blows where it wants to." If the calling of disciples is the work of the Holy Spirit, where do we come in? How do we know when we are following the Great Commission, and when we are trying to do God's work for God? Is there a difference between seeking intellectual assent to theology or doctrine, and offering opportunities for the Spirit to work in people's hearts and lives? What does this look like? Reflect on where God may be calling you to invite others into relationship with Christ.
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